Display racks



Aug. 25, 1964 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1962 I 7 r D we mw mmMmmmmmmmumwmm H w e m m e I H :R K I O K e M 1 L m HUI! w W! m L H. BESTDISPLAY RACKS Aug. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1962aq'H'orrzel s Inventor Leon HnBest 53/ mdLDmM/ United States Patent3,145,845 DISPLAY RACKS Leon H. Best, Galva, 111., assignor to John H.Best & Sons, Inc., Galva, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 18,1962, Ser. No. 231,471 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-44) This invention relates toa display rack for supporting rolls of linoleum or other heavy rolledmaterial in an upright fashion.

Rolls of linoleum, carpeting and the like are sometimes moreconveniently displayed for customer inspection by disposing the samevertically on end. Such a display is a space saver if nothing else.However, there is danger in an arrangement of this kind, unless therolls are stabilized or supported, since it is an easy matter for oneroll to be tipped over, likely to cause the whole group to fall liketenpins. It will be appreciated that rolls of material of this kind arequite heavy, so the chance of a serious accident, when a roll is uprightwithout support, ought to be taken into account.

The primary object of the present invention is to make available adisplay rack for stably supporting upright rolls of linoleum or thelight against inadvertent tilting, and in particular one that can beinexpensively manufactured and assembled. Specifically, an object of theinvention is to construct such a rack inclusive of a plurality of armssupported by individual support elements on a cross member, each sucharm having an end adapted to be anchored to the upper end of such a rolland so related to the support element on the cross member that a forcetending to upset the roll applies tension to the arm and induces an evenmore effective connection between the arm and said support element.

Under the present invention, and such constitutes another specificobject hereof, linoleum rolls or the like are supported on end againstinadventent tilting by having resort to a horizontal arm anchored to theupper end of the roll. The arm is gripped by a spring clip supported ona cross member, and a connection is afforded between the spring clip andthe arm so that tension applied to the arm in a horizontal direction, asby a tilting force applied to the associated roll, induces an even moreeffective clasp between the spring clip and the arm. Furthermore, theclip resists attempts to move the roll laterally with the arm as aradius. Even so, it is possible, when desired, to swing or tilt the armvertically about the axis of the cross member to enable the arm to bereleased purposely with respect to the roll of material.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferredembodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and whatis now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying theprinciple. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same orequivalent principles may be made as desired by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the present invention and the purview of theappended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a group of linoleum rolls standing onend and supported by the rack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, and beingbroken away;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of a clip and associated holding arm;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view onan enlarged scale in comparison toFIG. 1 showing the manner in which the arms project from opposite sidesof the cross member;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the display rackstructure.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a plurality of linoleum rolls R in adisplay room are set on end in an upright fashion in two parallel rows,and are secured or anchored in this condition by holding devices thatare a part of the display rack 10 of the present invention. The rack 10includes an elongated cross member in the form of a rod 12, and this rodis of such length as to extend substantially from one end extremity ofthe rows of rolls R to the other end extremity as will be evident inFIGS. 1 and 2.

The rod 12 is in an elevated horizontal position somewhat above theupper ends of the rolls R which, incidentally may be of six-foot width,that is, the upper end of each roll R is six feet above floor level. Therod 12 is supported in this position by a pair of upright posts 14 and15 located at opposite ends of the rod 12.

The posts 14 and 15 have the lower ends thereof secured to a pair offloor mounted base plates 16 and 17. The ends of the cross rod 12 aresecured to the upper ends of the supports 14 and 15 as by bolts 20 whichhave the threaded inner ends thereof anchored in a nut plug orequivalent retainer 12N, FIG. 5, arranged within each of the open endsof the tubular cross member 12. It will be appreciated that any suitablemeans can be used to support and secure the cross member 12 in itselevated position.

Each roll R, except for the four end rolls as noted hereinafter, issecured against tipping over by intermediate arms 21 which, as shown inFIG. 2, project outwardly from opposite sides of the cross member 12. Byusing end arms 22 of slightly dilferent configuration for the four endrolls R, as hereinafter described, it is possible to shroud or concealthe base plates 16 and 17 by the two end rolls at each end of thelinoleum roll assembly.

The intermediate arms 21 are of identical configuration. Thus, each arm21 includes a horizontal leg 21A and a downwardly bent leg 21B at oneend thereof. The leg 21B, which is of vertical extent, enables the arm21 to be anchored to the roll by being disposed in the core opening 23at the upper end of each roll as will be evidentin FIGS. 2 and 5.

Associated with each arm 21 is a substantially U-sh-aped spring clip 25having a 'bight portion 26 adapted to be saddled on the upper side ofthe cross member 12. Each clip includes two downwardly divergent legs27, and these are disposed on opposite sides of the cross rod 12 whenthe clip is set thereon.

The lower ends of the spring legs 27 are provided with apertures 30.These aperatures are in registry with one another and are configured toneatly receive the leg 21A of the arm 21. By slightly compressing thelegs 27 in- Ward in opposition to the spring force, the aperturesbecomesutficiently aligned to enable the leg 21A of the related arm 21 to beeasily projected therethrough, as will be evident in FIG. 3.

When the compressive force on the clip legs is released, afterpositioning the leg 21A of an arm 21 in the openings therein, the springforce of the legs 27 is applied to spaced points at the underside of thearm 21, resisting displacement of the arm 21 relative to the clip, andthe parts are configured and designed to produce this result.

The underside of the leg 21A of the hold-down arm 21 is notched at 21Nas shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This notch is configured to engage the loweredge defining the aperture 30 in the leg of the related spring clip 25that is on the near side of the roll R (leg 27A, FIG. 5) supported bythe related arm 21. In other words, each arm 21 is,

through its notch 21N, secured to the leg of the related clip that is onthe near or adjacent side of the hook end 21B of the related arm 21.

As shown in FIG. 5, each arm 21 secured to a clip 25 can be pivotedfreely in a vertical plane about the rod 12 about an axis, and suchrelationship enables a roll R to be removed from the rack when desired.However, if a force F, FIG. 5, is applied to a roll R that is anchoredby an arm 21, tending to tilt or upset the roll relative to its uprightposition, such produces a forward pull or tension on the arm 21, and aforce in turn is exerted on that leg 27A of the related clip 25 which isnearest the roll to which the upsetting force has been applied.Concurrently with this action, the leg 27A of the clip engaged by thenotch in the arm 21 tends to be pulled away from the cross tube 12 inthe direction of the applied force F. This is resisted, however, by thecross member 12, and the manifest consequence is that the force thusexerted on the spring clip tends to spread the legs thereof, but thisproduces an even tighter clasp of the legs of the clip 25 on theunderside of the related arm 21, preventing to an even greater degreedisplacement of the tensioned arm 21 outward away from the cross member12. In other words, a force tending to upset a roll itself results inthe creation of conditions resisting this in proporation to the degreeof the applied force. It may be further observed that the clips 25 alsoresist lateral swinging of the rolls R, that is, swinging motion in aleft or right hand sense as viewed in FIG. 2.

The end arms 22 are four in number, two at each end of the member 12 andare secured in clips 25 in the manner of the arm 21. The clips 25 forthe arms 22 are in adjacent relationship at each end of the cross member12. The arms 22 are angled in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 so as todiverge from one another outwardly at each end of the cross member 12,thereby to dispose the outer ends of each end pair of arms 22 beyond theends of the member 12 in such positions that the downwardly bent anchorends thereof (not shown, but identical to 21B) will locate the relatedtwo end rolls in surrounding or protective relation with respect to thebase plates 16 and 17. This avoids the plates 16 and 17 being trippedover, and additionally results in a neat appearance.

The present invention, as will be realized from what has been describedabove, affords and effective way of safely displaying large, heavy rollsof linoleum or the like in an upright fashion. Any force tending to tipa roll over simply produces an even firmer anchor of the roll by virtueof this force being applied to the spring clip in such a manner as tospread the legs thereof, causing an even tighter clasp on the arm thatanchors the roll. Hence, while I have illustrated and described apreferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that thisis capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish tobe limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myselfof such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a display rack for upright rolls of linoleum or the like, a standincluding a horizontal cross member supported at an elevationcorresponding approximately to the height of the rolls, a U-shapedspring clip having the bight portion thereof supported on the crossmember and the two legs thereof being disposed on opposite sides of thecross member, said legs each having an aperture therein substantially inregistry one with another, a horizontal arm projected through theapertures and gripped by said legs, said arm at one end being adapted tobe anchored to the upper portion of such a roll so that a force tendingto tip the roll over applied tension to said arm, and said arm beingjoined to the leg of the clip which is on the near side of said roll.

2. In a display rack for upright rolls of linoleum or the like, a standincluding a horizontal cross member supported at an elevationcorresponding approximately to the height of the rolls, a plurality ofU-shaped spring clips and each having the bight portion thereof saddledon the cross member with the two legs thereof disposed on opposite sidesof the cross member, said legs each having an aperture thereinsubstantially in registry one with another, a plurality of horizontalarms, each of said arms projected through the apertures of one of saidclips and related thereto so that the arms project from both sides ofthe cross member to anchor two rows of rolls on end respec tively onopposite sides of the cross member, each of said arms at one end beingadapted to be anchored to a related one of the rolls so that a forcetending to tip a roll applies tension to said arm, and each of said armsbeing connected to the leg of the related clip which is on the near sideof the roll anchored thereby.

3. In a display rack for upright rolls of linoleum or the like, a standincluding a horizontal cross member supported at an elevationcorresponding approximately to the height of the rolls, a spring clippivotally supported on the cross member and having two legs disposed onopposite sides of the cross member, said legs each having an aperturetherein substantially in registry one with another, a horizontal armprojected through the apertures and the legs of the clip engaging saidarm under spring tension to retain the same, said arm at one end beingadapted to be anchored on such a roll so that the force tending to tipthe roll applies tension to said arm, and said arm being connected tothe leg of the clip which is on the near side of said roll whereby whensaid arm is tensioned said legs are spread farther to apply more springtension to retain said arm.

4. In a display rack for upright rolls of linoleum or the like, a standincluding a horizontal cross member at an elevation correspondingapproximately to the height of the rolls, a spring clip supported on thecross member, said clip including two spring legs disposed on oppositesides of the cross member, said legs having aligned apertures therein, ahorizontal arm supported in said apertures and thereby supported by saidlegs, said arm at one end being adapted to be anchored on such a roll sothat the force tending to tip the roll applies tension to said armtending to displace the arm relative to said spring legs, and said armbeing connected to the leg of the clip which is on the near side of saidroll whereby said displacing force tends to spread said legs and to movethe edges of said apertures into tighter contact with said arm therebyresisting said displacing force.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS805,603 Way Nov. 28, 1905 1,269,413 Finnegan June 11, 1918 1,505,220Shay Aug. 19, 1924 1,587,234 Holmes June 1, 1926 2,646,174 Hutten July21, 1953 2,917,181 Staub Dec. 15, 1959

1. IN A DISPLAY RACK FOR UPRIGHT ROLLS OF LINOLEUM OR THE LIKE, A STANDINCLUDING A HORIZONTAL CROSS MEMBER SUPPORTED AT AN ELEVATIONCORRESPONDING APPROXIMATELY TO THE HEIGHT OF THE ROLLS, A U-SHAPEDSPRING CLIP HAVING THE BIGHT PORTION THEREOF SUPPORTED ON THE CROSSMEMBER AND THE TWO LEGS THEREOF BEING DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THECROSS MEMBER, SAID LEGS EACH HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY INREGISTRY ONE WITH ANOTHER, A HORIZONTAL ARM PROJECTED THROUGH THEAPERTURES AND GRIPPED BY SAID LEGS, SAID ARM AT ONE END BEING ADAPTED TOBE ANCHORED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SUCH A ROLL SO THAT A FORCE TENDINGTO TIP THE ROLL OVER APPLIED TENSION TO SAID ARM, AND SAID ARM BEINGJOINED TO THE LEG OF THE CLIP WHICH IS ON THE NEAR SIDE OF SAID ROLL.